Temporary Staff Attorney

Job Type: Officer of Administration
Bargaining Unit:
Regular/Temporary: Temporary
End Date if Temporary: Two years from hire
Building:
The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The Knight First Amendment Institute defends the freedoms of speech and the press in the digital age through strategic litigation, research, and public education. Since its establishment in 2016, the Institute has filed precedent-setting litigation, undertaken major interdisciplinary research initiatives, and become an influential voice in debates about the freedoms of speech and the press in the digital age. Its active litigation docket includes cutting-edge cases relating to transparency, surveillance, and social media. It has also hosted public events on new technology and public discourse, data journalism and the law, the First Amendment and inequality, whistleblowers, leaks, and national-security journalism.

The Institute is seeking to hire a Staff Attorney for a two-year position based at Columbia University in New York City. A key member of the Institute's litigation team, the Staff Attorney will contribute to the Institute's litigation program by conceiving of and developing new cases, researching legal and factual questions, drafting research memos, working with clients and witnesses, drafting and editing legal briefs, and presenting oral argument. The Staff Attorney will also contribute to the Institute's strategic agenda, support the Institute's research and public education programs, speak on behalf of the Institute to professional and academic audiences, and represent the Institute in the media. The Staff Attorney must have litigation experience, preferably in cases seeking to vindicate civil rights or civil liberties. The Staff Attorney must also have the judgment, energy, initiative, creativity, flexibility, and passion required to work effectively both individually and as part of a team.

draft and edit legal briefs and other pleadings; research and oversee the research by others of legal and factual questions; draft and edit research memos; Help set the Institute's strategic direction, determine the Institute's substantive priorities, and design and implement the Institute's research and public education programs.
Contribute to the Institute's research program as appropriate through participation in discussions about potential research initiatives, research, and writing.
Speak on behalf of the Institute to professional and academic audiences; write in a variety of formats (including in blog posts, op-eds, and white papers) for both legal and non-legal audiences about issues relating to the Institute's work; Supervise legal fellows and interns.
Cultivate and manage relationships with the Institute's partners inside and outside the Columbia University community.
Travel as required for litigation, conferences, and speaking engagements.
The Staff Attorney must have a J.Writing is an essential skill for this position, so we ask that you please do not use AI in the preparation of any of your application materials.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.